For bus-riding OSU grads, the jig is up

Turns out Ohio State University grads were scamming COTA for free rides afterall.

The transit authority reports that OSU ridership -- "free" for students with
valid BuckID cards -- is down 7.3 percent so far this year. And paid ridership on
campus-area routes is up.

Since Jan. 1, OSU students, who pay $9 per quarter through the university for unlimited bus
rides, have been required to
swipe
their ID cards when they board. Campus-area routes along High Street, Kenny Road and the
Lennox Town Center have a combined 30,000 additional paid riders.

Until the technology upgrade, it was widely known among grads and other former students that a
quick flash of an expired university ID was enough to get past the driver. COTA called the
free-ride scam negligible and said it wasn't the reason for the new policy.

ID swiping allows the university and transit authority to collect better data on demand so they
can tailor future services for OSU riders, officials said.